Textured ceiling clean up

[MattB83]

I've just moved into a new house and I got a plasterer to skim the old textured ceilings so I could stop worrying about asbestos (might not have contained it but was definitely a textured ceiling). Anyway I knew that some ceilings has already been skimmed so no more textured ceilings and all was well...

Then we had an electrical problem which required an electrician. He fixed it quickly (bad wiring on light fitting) but when I went up to bed there was ceiling pieces and dust all over the bed and the bags of clothes werew currently living out of. It was now midnight so I changed the sheets and hoovered thoroughly and washed any clothing that has potentially been in contact with the plaster/artex. It can't have been much ceiling but I'm a bit paranoid now about what to do. I could get completely neurotic and rent/buy a type H vacuum as there could be dust everywhere.

Or, having cleaned up as well as I could without specialist equipment, do I just forget about it now?

 

[KenGMac]

MattB83, good evening.

Asbestos in Artex is not uncommon.

You mention you have moved into a "New House" how old is the property?

The level of [generally white] asbestos ranges from a trace to a content of between 1 and 3 % max.

Try googling White Asbestos??

The original Artex will have been over coated by [possibly] several layers of [Generally] Emulsion paint, in effect Encapsulated, no fiber escapes?

Your second para, I take it refers to what was left by the Electrician? small bits and bobs of plaster [possibly containing Artex]

If you consider it, you have now undertaken a clean up and washed all exposed clothing you can find, the volume if it was the residue from the Electricians work would be tiny, given the bits displaced will be very small and the volume of Asbestos in Artex is low and it is generally a white Asbestos things should be OK for you.

If in doubt, have the ceilings checked for the presence of Asbestos.

I have the impression that, Yes exposure to Asbestos can lead to medical issues, and certainly prolonged exposure will cause problems, but where is the differentiation between exposure levels, all I have read gives divergent answers as to "exposure"

Ken

 

[MattB83]

MattB83, good evening.

Asbestos in Artex is not uncommon.

You mention you have moved into a "New House" how old is the property?

The level of [generally white] asbestos ranges from a trace to a content of between 1 and 3 % max.

Try googling White Asbestos??

The original Artex will have been over coated by [possibly] several layers of [Generally] Emulsion paint, in effect Encapsulated, no fiber escapes?

Your second para, I take it refers to what was left by the Electrician? small bits and bobs of plaster [possibly containing Artex]

If you consider it, you have now undertaken a clean up and washed all exposed clothing you can find, the volume if it was the residue from the Electricians work would be tiny, given the bits displaced will be very small and the volume of Asbestos in Artex is low and it is generally a white Asbestos things should be OK for you.

If in doubt, have the ceilings checked for the presence of Asbestos.

I have the impression that, Yes exposure to Asbestos can lead to medical issues, and certainly prolonged exposure will cause problems, but where is the differentiation between exposure levels, all I have read gives divergent answers as to "exposure"

Ken

Thank you Ken for your reassuring words. The house is 70 years old so if it was artex from that long ago it could well contain asbestos but you're right that it's low down the list. I suppose it's understanding risk isn't it!

Thanks again.

 

[winston1]

Thank you Ken for your reassuring words. The house is 70 years old so if it was artex from that long ago it could well contain asbestos

It won't be. Artex was not around in 1948. It was a fad from the 70's I seem to remember.

 

[KenGMac]

winston1, good evening.

Problem is that there is a possibility that between the time the property was built and 1999 [when Asbestos was totally banned] someone could have applied some Artex that indeed did contain Asbestos.

Problem is that no one knows what level of "Exposure" is needed to begin sometime in the next what, 20 / 30 / 40 years severe and fatal medical conditions.

Next issue is that the general public are in 2 camps, one are totally ignorant of ACMs the other half are aware and terrified of anything at all that contains the word Asbestos.

We simply get alarm messages but no real exposure information.

Ken

 

[MattB83]

winston1, good evening.

Problem is that there is a possibility that between the time the property was built and 1999 [when Asbestos was totally banned] someone could have applied some Artex that indeed did contain Asbestos.

Problem is that no one knows what level of "Exposure" is needed to begin sometime in the next what, 20 / 30 / 40 years severe and fatal medical conditions.

Next issue is that the general public are in 2 camps, one are totally ignorant of ACMs the other half are aware and terrified of anything at all that contains the word Asbestos.

We simply get alarm messages but no real exposure information.

Ken

Yes it's interesting Ken. There's an organisation called asbestos watchdog which is adamant that artex is extremely safe.

What's probably more worrying is the asbestos me and my mate (Shane) drilled holes in with his dad's cordless drill. If my clock started ticking 25 years ago then I may not be around to see the end of this thread...

 

[winston1]

I'm aware but not terrified. When I was a kid in the 50's I lived on a half built housing estate and used to collect scrap asbestos to build things. I cut it, drilled it, smashed it etc. I'm still all-right and I'm 73 now. The problems arise when minute fibres lodge in the lungs. Some varieties of asbestos are worse than others. Don't know what type was in Artex.

 

[MattB83]

I'm aware but not terrified. When I was a kid in the 50's I lived on a half built housing estate and used to collect scrap asbestos to build things. I cut it, drilled it, smashed it etc. I'm still all-right and I'm 73 now. The problems arise when minute fibres lodge in the lungs. Some varieties of asbestos are worse than others. Don't know what type was in Artex.

White I think. That's the least bad I believe, and I think the asbestos containing artex contained 1-2%.

 

[foxhole]

Artex first introduced 1935.